A New Flame
by OfficialShinyTeaParty
Summary: This story is our first ever fanfic. You can be brutally honest because we want to improve and to do that, we need your opinion. The story is taking place a few moons after the glorious leader Firestar has died. A new shadow has emerged that threatens the Clans. Will the darkness engulf all life or will a flicker of light burn bright and fight the evil? Some slight surrealism.
1. Chapter 1

Padding through the woods was a large and well muscled brown pelted cat. He curiously had unique green stripe patterns which decorated his body in an intricate design. He wiggled his nose at the smells that were everywhere… mouse, birds, and an assortment of multiple other scents ravaged his nostrils, like an angry mother that ravaged her kits at bath time. Piercing green eyes looked to and fro, as if the cat was searching for something. Upon settling his gaze on what seemed to be another cat, he made his way over as annoyance swirled his presence like a storm cloud.

"Pearlshine! You have possibly the worst timing in the history of the Clans. Sending Tawnypelt to retrieve me isn't your usual method."

The male flexed his incredibly sharp and huge claws, digging them into the ground as a light grey she-cat turned her bored head and acknowledged him with a roll of her sapphire eyes. Pearlshine snickered and licked a paw.

"Oh, so sorry Mintstorm. Did I interrupt your afternoon 'nap' with Blackstar?" Pearlshine herself knew full well that napping was the least of what occurred in the male's active life in Shadowclan.

The she-cat was healthily plump. Not too fat and not too slim, as expected of a feline from Riverclan. A white puff centered on her chest was the reason for her name, as it looked like a shiny pearl from the ocean.

Mintstorm only growled in response, his huge bulk taking a seat next to the sarcastic female.

"Grumpy puss. You get to have a nap with Blackstar almost every day, for Starclan's sake, you'd think meeting me for some friendship time wouldn't be so bad." She took a pause "I saw Jayfeather the other day. He looked pretty stern."

Pearlshine flicked an ear and dreamily sighed, which made Mintstorm mentally gag. He would never understand why a blind and useless medicine cat, that was rumored to have a relationship with a stick, would seem so pleasing to a female. He lifted a paw and peered at his magnificent claws with scrutiny, wondering how painful it must be for his prey when he goes hunting.

"Well he didn't see you. Why such interest in him anyways? He's in Thunderclan. You're in Riverclan. It's time you pursue a mate that you can actually mate with instead of one that can't see where to put it." Mintstorm snarled lightly, before sniffing and then glancing over at Pearlshine with a light smirk.

"Well, I'm in Riverclan and you're in Shadowclan and see where we are," Pearlshine laughed and nudged her brawny friend. "So, has Thunderclan _officially _adopted Fluff yet?" Pearlshine loved mentioning the pathetic kittypet around Mintstorm. His frustration was evident.

The male growled in such a manner that most would mistake him for one of the legendary big cats, as if his bulk and claws didn't help that image already. Mintstorm glanced about, as his gaze penetrated the area they were sitting at for any signs of prey, or possible patrols. While most knew the two usually talked to each other at the border, it wasn't smiled upon by any of the Clans.

"You and I aren't 'active' with each other, Pearlshine… thank Starclan above. The day Sunstorm allows such an affront to nature join her clan is the day I start taking naps with you."

"Ha" Pearlshine rolled her eyes once more "Right, I-" She stopped mid-sentence. "Do… do you smell that?" She asked quietly.

Mintstorm made a face, casually backing away from her. "No I-" His nose wiggled suddenly. "What is that?"

"I'm no expert, but that may or may not be the pungent scent of fox…" Pearlshine replied, a slight excited note breaking through her bored tone.


	2. Chapter 2

Pearlshine slowly turned to where the scent seemed to be coming from.

"Do… Do you think we should follow it?" Pearlshine asked timidly, almost shrinking back from the scent.

Mintstorm flicked an ear as he recognized slight fear in his companion's voice. Another reason he kept Pearlshine around was, when it came down to the grindstone, she was just another cat to follow his orders, albeit one with an opinion he actually considered.

"Afraid? You should be excited. Killing a fox is a great way to get some respect around here. I think we should follow it and see where it goes. Maybe if we're lucky, it'll head off to another Clan and kill an apprentice or two." Mintstorm grinned, a wicked gleam in his emerald eyes.

"Well…" she turned her head towards him, a small smile forming. "When you put it that way…" Almost every cat knew about Pearlshine's distaste for kits and apprentices. After her last two apprentices… disappeared, she hadn't been given a new one. Though, no cat suspected that she'd get enjoyment out of one dying.

She immediately pressed herself low to the ground, already in stalking position. After a moment she sat back up "Wait… you don't think it'll kill us or anything, right?"

Mintstorm snorted.

"Long as we stay low and maybe push an idiot in its path, we'll be fine Pearlshine. Unless..." The tom blinked, an idea popping up like frightened prey in his mind. "You'd like to serve as a decoy and run it straight into the Thunderclan base?" His tone suggested he might make her actually go through with it just to satisfy his vile humor. However, he shook his head. "Let's just hope for the best."

"I'm not risking my tail just so you can get a sick laugh" she glared at him "But, I am not opposed to running it straight into Thunderclan territory. Might catch a kittypet or apprentice… I'm not over here all that often." She paused and looked around. "If we're at the Shadowclan halfbridge, Thunderclan is…" She flicked her tail to the east "That way, correct?"

With a nod of the head, the impatient tom agreed. He then proceeded to pad onwards, not caring if Pearlshine was still trying to skulk in secrecy or if she padded like a normal feline behind. Mintstorm was now thinking of how much praise he'd receive if he managed to bring the fox's corpse back to Shadowclan. Blackstar might even share a piece of prey with him in public after something so heroic, right? Right.

Mintstorm and Blackstar had a close friendship/rivary that eventually turned into something more. The idea of two males being mated together was completely unheard of in the Clans… one could only imagine the awkward feelings the two battled with when it started. For now, the love the two shared was behind closed claws. Blackstar was the leader of Shadowclan, after all. Weakness of any sort could not be shown. So, the two acted like a leader and a warrior, with loyalty the only bond between them while open to the eyes of the clans.

Mintstorm let out a deep rumble of a growl as he padded, not listening to anything Pearlshine might've been saying. Love was certainly a weakness. It made you stupid. It causes doubt in the most simple of situations. It's emotional catnip, a drug, he knew this. Yet a faint pink hue always erupted on the tom's nose whenever he thought of Blackstar, which was evident at this moment.

Pearlshine prattled endlessly about various cats as they attempted to follow the scent. If Pearlshine had one weakness, it was gossip. She had to know every detail about every cat. Obtaining this information was never very difficult for her. She was very friendly and cats readily opened up to her. Normally, she just spread the information to as many cats as she could, entrancing a large crowd with a wild tale. Occasionally, with very confidential information, she used it for her own gain, blackmailing other cats into doing her bidding.

The only other weakness Pearlshine had was for a certain Thunderclan cat: Jayfeather. She saw the blind cat at a Gathering and has been infatuated since. She loved his gruff demeanor, and witty comebacks. They had never actually had a conversation before, but that didn't deter her.

"So, then Ratwind and Fluff-" Pearlshine halted to a stop as she noticed they were sort of crooked from their original goal.

"Hey, Mintstorm?"

No response.

"Mintstorm!" She nearly screeched.

Mintstorm crossed his eyes at the unattractive wailing of Pearlshine. Nothing could be thought about while that was in the air, not even his undying love for the magnificent and powerful Blackstar. He turned his head and snarled, not really caring what she had to say.

"What in the world do you want?! Unless my nose is buried in the butt of that fox, quiet your teeth!"

"About that…" She looked down "I think that I smell more Thunderclan than fox right now…"


End file.
